High school teacher killed while riding in Vancouver, WA

Posted by Elly Blue on September 16th, 2009 at 10:22 am @ BikePortland.org

I have reprinted this here simply as it bothers me a great deal. As it continues to change, go back to the BikePortland.org link (Title above) and see what is going on.

Update: A candlelight vigil for Gordon Patterson will be held at 8pm on Thursday, September 17th at Hudson’s Bay High School (map).

NE 41st and St Johns in Vancouver
(See street view at end of story)

A teacher at Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver, Washington was killed in a hit and run yesterday around 4pm while riding his bicycle through the intersection of Saint Johns and NE 41st St in Vancouver.

The Columbian is reporting that the victim was Gordon Patterson, 60, a well-liked technology teacher at the high school.

Eighteen year old Antonio Eugene Cellestine has been arrested and booked on felony hit and run charges at the Clark County jail.

The Oregonian reports that Patterson was thrown onto the hood of the sedan that hit him and “carried some distance before falling onto the sidewalk.” The suspect then allegedly fled the wrong way down a one-way street, pursued by witnesses. Police found the car abandoned a few blocks away, and later yesterday arrested Cellestine at his apartment.

The Columbian spoke with witnesses who said they heard no screeching brakes and did not see the car slow down during the crash. Vancouver police suspect that distracted driving was a factor in the crash. The paper also reports that neighbors consider this stretch of road to be a particularly dangerous one.

Candles and flowers have already begun appearing near the site of Patterson’s death, many left by his students. We’ve learned that a group of students and local bike activists are planning to put a ghost bike at the intersection.

Here is a street view of the section of road where the crash occurred:View Larger Map